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🎣 BARROW PERCH BONANZA 2026OFFICIAL COMPETITION RULES & REGULATIONS
PRESENTED BY PERCH MASTER IRELAND
Get ready for a day of perch fishing on the River Barrow! Before registering, please take the time to read the following rules carefully. All competitors must follow these regulations to ensure a fair, enjoyable and responsible competition for everyone.
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📩 1. REGISTRATION
Registration is available through:
Email: [email protected]
WhatsApp: 087 792 6935
Maximum 30 anglers.
Entry is on a first-come, first-served basis.
A WhatsApp group will be created for all registered competitors.
All competition-related information, questions, meeting points, venue details, measuring board and hi-vis collection arrangements, and prize-giving details will be shared in the group.
💶 2. ENTRY FEE & DEPOSIT
Competition entry fee: €30 per angler
Equipment deposit: €15 per angler
Total payment before the competition: €45 per angler
The €15 deposit is required for the measuring board and hi-vis jacket provided by the organiser.
IMPORTANT: The €15 deposit will be fully refunded at the end of the competition once the measuring board and hi-vis jacket have been returned to the designated collection point.
Both the entry fee and deposit must be paid before the competition.
🏆 3. PRIZES
Based on a full entry of 30 anglers:
🥇 1st Place: €300 + Trophy
🥈 2nd Place: €200 + Trophy
🥉 3rd Place: €150 + Trophy
🎣 Biggest Perch: €100
Prizes are calculated based on 30 registered anglers. In the event of fewer registrations, the prize fund will be adjusted accordingly.
🐟 4. FISH SPECIES & SCORING
Perch only.
Minimum qualifying length: 25cm.
The longest 5 perch caught by each angler will count towards the final result.
All fish must be measured in centimetres (cm).
No decimal points will be used. Lengths will be recorded in whole centimetres only.
🎣 5. FISHING METHODS & EQUIPMENT
ARTIFICIAL LURES ONLY!
Permitted lures include:
Hard lures
Soft plastic lures
Spinners
Hybrid lures
Other artificial fishing lures
Permitted fishing methods:
Spinning
Jigging
Dropshot
STRICTLY NO LIVE OR DEAD BAIT!
The following are strictly prohibited:
Worms
Minnows
Prawns
Maggots
Roach
Any other natural bait
Groundbait
Anyone caught fishing with live or dead bait, or using prohibited bait, will be disqualified.
Only ONE rod may be used at any time per angler. Competitors may bring spare rods.
📍 6. COMPETITION AREA & FISHING LOCATION
This is a shore-based fishing competition on the River Barrow.
Permitted fishing locations:
Riverbank
Jetties
Designated fishing stands
Strictly prohibited:
Wading
Kayaks
Boats
Belly boats
A designated competition sector will be established and made available to registered anglers before the event.
All competitors must fish within the designated competition sector.
Fishing outside the designated sector will result in all fish caught up to that point being disqualified.
If a section of the river becomes flooded or unsuitable for fishing, the organiser reserves the right to move the competition to another suitable stretch nearby.
👥 7. INDIVIDUAL COMPETITION & ANGLER DISTANCE
This is an individual competition.
Every angler must catch, land, measure and photograph their own fish without assistance from other competitors or outside individuals.
A minimum distance of 5 metres must be maintained between competition anglers.
A minimum distance of 10 metres must be maintained from other anglers fishing along the riverbank who are not participating in the competition, including local anglers and match anglers.
Please respect everyone sharing the riverbank.
🦺 8. HI-VIS JACKETS
A hi-vis jacket will be provided to every competitor.
Wearing the provided hi-vis jacket is compulsory at ALL TIMES during the competition.
📸 9. FISH MEASUREMENT, PHOTOGRAPHS & RELEASE
Every qualifying perch must be recorded using the official measuring board and competition card provided by the organiser.
When a qualifying perch is caught, the following steps MUST be completed:
STEP 1 – MEASUREMENT PHOTO
Take a clear photograph of the perch on the official measuring board provided.
STEP 2 – COMPETITION CARD
The official competition card provided to each angler MUST be clearly visible in the photograph with the fish.
No card visible = No fish counted!
STEP 3 – RELEASE VIDEO
A short video showing the safe release of the fish must be recorded.
The angler must clearly announce the fish length during the video.
Example: "Perch, 31cm, going back!"
ALL FISH MUST BE SAFELY RELEASED.
Missing any one of these three requirements means the fish will NOT count.
📷 10. PHOTOGRAPHING YOUR FISH – IMPORTANT
It is every angler's responsibility to ensure photographs and videos are clear and visible.
The total length of the fish must be clearly visible on the measuring board.
The official competition card must be visible in the photograph.
Only ONE hand is allowed on the fish when taking the measurement photograph.
Fish must be positioned correctly on the measuring board.
Unclear or incomplete photographs will result in the fish being rejected.
A demonstration showing the correct way to measure and photograph a perch will be shared in the WhatsApp group before the competition.
REMEMBER: NO CLEAR PHOTO = NO FISH!
⚖️ 11. TIE-BREAKING RULES
In the event that two or more anglers finish with the same total length, the following criteria will determine the final positions:
Longest individual perch caught.
Time of capture of the longest perch.
Time of capture of the first qualifying perch.
Total number of qualifying perch caught during the competition.
🤝 12. RESPECT FOR OTHER ANGLERS & CASTING RULES
All competitors must respect other anglers fishing in the competition and anyone else using the riverbank.
Maintain the required fishing distances.
Cast your lures upstream or downstream only within the available space between neighbouring anglers.
DO NOT cast in front of another angler.
Never interfere with another competitor's fishing area.
Everyone deserves a fair opportunity to enjoy the competition.
🌿 13. ENVIRONMENT & FISH CARE
We ask every competitor to respect the river and its surroundings.
Do not leave rubbish, fishing line, packaging or any other waste behind.
Handle all fish with care.
Use appropriate tools and accessories to safely land and unhook your fish.
Return all fish safely to the water.
#LeaveNoTrace
More information: https://www.leavenotraceireland.org/
🌧️ 14. WEATHER & CANCELLATION POLICY
The safety of all competitors comes first.
In the event of severe weather, storms or unsafe fishing conditions, the organiser reserves the right to postpone the competition to another date, where possible, or cancel the event.
If the competition is cancelled, all entry fees and deposits will be refunded.
⚠️ 15. COMPETITION RULE ENFORCEMENT
Please pay particular attention to the following:
❌ No measurement photograph – FISH WILL NOT COUNT.
❌ No official competition card visible in the photograph – FISH WILL NOT COUNT.
❌ No release video – FISH WILL NOT COUNT.
❌ Fishing outside the designated competition sector – ALL FISH CAUGHT UP TO THAT POINT WILL BE DISQUALIFIED.
❌ Fishing with live or dead bait – DISQUALIFICATION.
❌ Failure to follow competition regulations may result in disqualification.
📢 16. COMPLAINTS & PROTESTS
Any complaints or objections regarding the competition or results must be brought to the attention of the organiser BEFORE the official results are published.
All complaints must be supported by clear evidence.
The organiser's decision on competition matters will be final.
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🎣 A FEW FINAL WORDS
Barrow Perch Bonanza is about more than catching fish. It's about bringing anglers together, enjoying a great day on the bank, sharing our passion for perch fishing and respecting the sport, the fish and the environment.
We want a fair competition where everyone has the same opportunities and where good sportsmanship comes first.
READ THE RULES – RESPECT THE RULES – ENJOY THE COMPETITION!
Good luck to everyone!
PERCH MASTER IRELAND 🇮🇪
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Baracuda fishing tackle shop, 2 Kilmore road (at rear) artane dublin 5,Dublin, Ireland
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